Sailing
by Jessi84
Summary: H and Kyle are going on a trip and have a great time. Surely nothing can go wrong right? Well, we are talking about the Caine trouble magnets though...


**A/N: I started writing this story many years back, and was never really able to finish it. Well, until now that is. I'm not a pro when it comes to sailing and navigating, so please be aware that some things just might be not overly correct.**

**Have fun and if you enjoyed reading it, I'd love to know. :)**

**###**

**Sailing**

The water lapped against the hull. Small waves were rocking the boat in a steady rhythm. Nothing except of the water could be heard. No traffic, no roaring of the city, no nothing. Only the sounds of nature were his company. It was…

Freedom…

Rest…

Recreation …

Peace…

… everything.

"DAD!"

With a start, Horatio opened his eyes and blinked a few times. So much for tranquility. So much for being alone in the world. With a sigh, he adjusted his bucket hat, but didn't get up from his comfy position. "What is it?"

A shuffle was heard and moments later his son arrived at his chair. "I was wondering if we could have a little snack before dinner?"

Horatio just snorted. "We just had lunch two hours ago, Kyle. You cannot be hungry _again_."

"Of course I can," the boy huffed. "I am a growing boy...man...whatever after all."

"You're 19, Son. How long do you plan to play this card?"

"As long as I am able to, Dad," the young man grinned. Ignoring the eye-roll, he continued, "plus, swimming always makes me hungry."

"Well, I can hardly let you starve. There would be just too much paperwork for me to fill out," Horatio sighed. "So do what have you to do."

"Geez, thanks, Dad. I can really feel the love," Kyle grumbled, but nevertheless, went down the hold to grab some snack in the kitchen.

"Get me a soda, while you're at it, will you?" Horatio called and then stood up from his chair. Now that Kyle had finished his snorkeling, he could finally put out the bait and begin his favorite past time: fishing. If they were lucky, they even had the chance of having fresh fish for dinner. Just thinking about it made his mouth water.

With a bag of chips, Kyle came back again. "Trying to catch some fish again, Dad? Should I already defrost the steaks?"

"Funny," mumbled Horatio. Just because the fish hadn't bitten yesterday, didn't mean that they would continue doing so. Or, oh well, at least he hoped so. "Here," a can was thrust into his vision. "Thanks." He took a long sip.

"It is rather hot, isn't it?" Kyle remarked while munching on his snack. "What did the weather forecast say?"

"Well, before we set out, it said to be sunny days ahead. That's why we are here. I have no intention to sail in a storm."

"Where is your sense of adventure, Dad?" Kyle laughed.

"It's not available at the moment," H grinned back.

"That's rather boring. I think the next time I will dive for a bit. Snorkeling is all good and well, but diving is even better."

"You will need a license though," Horatio reminded him and sat down on his chair again once he had the lines and poles ready.

"Do you think that Eric might help me with that?" his son asked and sat down next to him.

"Hmm…he might… And even if he can't, I'm sure that he can give you some names."

Satisfied the boy nodded and mentally made plans already. Since he was a small boy, he had been fascinated by the underwater world. He still remembered watching documentaries with Jacques and Jean Cousteau and the feeling of curiosity while seeing all those mystical creatures. "You know what? I'd love to swim with a shark one day."

"In a cage hopefully," Horatio remarked drily. "If not, then please wait until I'm dead, or I will surely die of a heart attack."

"Well it doesn't have to be a white shark," Kyle reassured him, "but a whale shark, for example, is really harmless."

"As harmless as a 25 ft long creature can be you mean."

Pulling a face at his father's enthusiasm, the young man replied, "Well, I'm larger than some plankton for sure."

"The way you polish off this healthy food, I cannot deny that." He smirked at the indignant "Hey" he got as a reply. Sometimes it was just too easy to rile up the boy. "Don't worry about it, the fish that I will catch will do you some good."

"Meaning, I will loose weight because of a starvation diet," the boy shot back.

That's why he loved bantering with his son. He gave as good as he got. They really were rather similar in that aspect. "Touché. Naysayer."

They shared a fond smile.

So where had he been before the rude interruption with the name of Kyle had appeared? Ah yes. Peace. Peace was surrounding him. Letting him forget about the exertions of the last weeks. Miami had been particularly bad, the citizens rather crazy and he and his team had had their hands full with too many cases, with too many victims. So in a rather uncharacteristic spontaneous act, he had decided to get his small sailing boat ready to flee from the city.

When he had told Kyle about his plans, the boy's eyes had lit up in excitement and he had asked if could tag along. Since the boy had never been on the open sea with the boat and only had had some dry runs, which Horatio had given him some time back about the different canvas and how to hoist them, he didn't have to think long about his answer. Kyle wasn't his first passenger, but certainly his most important one. So he had told the kid to pack some things and to meet him at the harbor.

And now? Now they were having a nice time together. And he was already sorry about the fact that it would only be a short trip. Wouldn't it be nice to circumnavigate all the Florida Keys? Or to be even more adventurous… maybe sailing along the whole east coast? Driving the Interstate 95 was wonderful by car, but how spectacular would it be from the sea side? To visit the different cities, a stop here and there, just nature and him. Time to reflect. Time to..

"Erm Dad?"

Abrupt his daydreams stopped. His son was quite the mood killer. "What?" he asked a tiny bit annoyed.

"Believe it or not, but I think there is something hooked."

Horatio's eyes shot to the fishing pole and really it was moving. "Finally!" he jumped out of his chair and scurried to the pole. "Get the hand net ready Son, this will be our dinner."

"All fingers crossed that it won't be something inedible."

####

Thankfully, it hadn't been something inedible, but a very tasty Snapper. Now they were lying in their berth which consisted of a bunk bed in which Horatio had the bottom and Kyle the top bunk.

"Dinner has been really good, Dad," Kyle leaned over the edge in order to look at his father. "Sorry for doubting you."

"Don't worry, Son. I can definitely distinguish between good-natured teasing and mean-natured slurs. To be honest, I was really relieved that something bit in the end. Something is up with the weather, I think, I never had such problems normally."

"Maybe it's too warm?" Kyle took a shot.

"I don't know…maybe..," Horatio mused, but didn't believe so. Then again, he was no professional fisher, so it was possible after all.

"But it doesn't really matter, does it? We had dinner and I didn't starve."

"Thank God for small mercies," Horatio laughed.

"You're just happy, because of the lack of paperwork," Kyle grinned.

"Of course I am. This is my vacation after all, I have enough paperwork on the normal days."

"Maybe you need a longer vacation, Dad. Like climbing the Himalaya."

Horatio gave him an incredulous look. "The Himalaya," he deadpanned. "Whatever gave you the idea that I would enjoy that?"

"Well, that's easy. There's no real telephone connection that high, ergo no case, ergo no paperwork. See? It's absolutely obvious."

Horatio just shook his head. "I think the fresh air isn't good for you, Son." No, it actually seemed to be quite bad.

"Pah. See if I will help you out brainstorming next time you're moaning about cramped fingers and needing reading glasses," he huffed and lay back down again.

"I do not need reading glasses," H exclaimed affronted. Reading glasses were for old people and he was…well…he wasn't young but certainly not old! At least not _that_ old. And everyone who was teasing him about too long arms and offering him to hold a paper could keep their comments to themselves.

"Of course, Dad, of course," Kyle replied utterly unimpressed. Instead he smirked to himself when he heard another snort coming from underneath. Maybe he should talk to Alexx Woods about it. After all, his father's health was important to him. "Good night, Dad."

"Good night, Kyle. And don't snore too much, will you?"

"If I snore, then I inherited it from my father," the boy joked. Well, it was rather unlikely that he got it from his mother anyway he guessed.

What was wrong with the boy? All this teasing and the smarty-pants comments. Apparently, his mother's influence was shining through. "Go to sleep boy."

"Yes, Sir."

###

Several hours later, it was still dark outside, Horatio woke up with a start.

"Dad? Dad are you awake?" his son whispered urgently.

"I am. What's wrong?" he mumbled sleepily.

"The ship, Dad. I think something crashed in the kitchen. And it's wavering pretty badly."

Now that Kyle mentioned it, Horatio felt the heavy movements of the ship. "It's only the wind, Kyle. No need to worry," he tried to soothe him, but Kyle didn't want to listen.

"No, Dad. It's more than just some wind, it's.." A loud crack and rumble interrupted him. "…a thunderstorm," he ended slightly more panicked.

"Alright." Horatio was definitely more alert now. He tried to get out of his bunk, but had some difficulties due to the heavy sea. When he was finally up, he stumbled and bumped with his shoulder into their small wardrobe. "Damn it."

"Are you okay?" Kyle asked and sat up in his bunk.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he rubbed his throbbing shoulder. "I'll go outside and check out the situation. Please have a look at the kitchen, will you?"

"Of course," the boy nodded quickly. He waited until Horatio had left the small room, and then got out of his bunk. Or rather fell out of his bed anyway. "Fuck it," he mumbled and stumbled out of the room. Fortunately the boat was neither long nor wide so he could support himself on the walls and make his way to the kitchen pretty safely. When he entered the kitchen, he stopped dead in his tracks. Even though the cupboard doors were secured, they must have opened due to the heavy sea.

"This isn't good."

###

Horatio, meanwhile, was standing outside. The sky was dark. The moon was covered by threatening looking clouds. Only the flashes were lightning the surroundings and what he was seeing didn't reassure him at all. Waves were crashing against his boat, the wind was howling in his ears and the heavy rain had already drenched him to the bone.

"This isn't good."

###

Kyle was busy tidying up the kitchen when his father came back. "And?" he asked worriedly when he noticed his father's serious face.

"We can't stay here," Horatio answered brusquely and turned on the marine radio. He quickly switched the channels until he found the correct one.

"…_. Be aware of upcoming storm. I repeat, please be aware of the upcoming storm in the zones 68 and 69. This is a yellow warning for a possible hurricane heading from zone 65 towards the coast. Please stay in the harbor."_ The man was repeating his warning into the eerie silence.

Horatio opened a drawer with one goand pulled out a chart.

"What does that mean, Dad?" Kyle asked, but Horatio ignored him. Instead he opened the chart and turned on their navigation device. "Dad?" Kyle tried again, but Horatio only mumbled to himself and seemed to make some kind of calculations.

"DAD!" Kyle said loudly and this time Horatio's head snapped up.

"WHAT?"

Kyle closed his mouth with an audible click and swallowed any harsh reply before he asked in a normal tone, "What does this mean?"

Horatio took a deep breath. "It means we're in deep shit, Son."

The fact that his father was cursing told Kyle all he needed to know. They were probably closer to the storm than it was healthy. "Are we going to die?" The question had just slipped out. He hadn't wanted to say that out loud, but now it was in the room.

"No." Horatio answered quickly, a little too quick for Kyle's taste.

"But we are close to this storm, aren't we?"

"I…" Horatio started to formulate a calming reply when he noticed the look on the boy's face. But 'boy' was the wrong term, wasn't it? Kyle was a young man now. And even though it was deeply ingrained in a parent's nature to reassure their offspring, he didn't want to outright lie to his son. "Yes we are. Our current position is here," he pointed at the chart. A big 69 was in the right corner of the square.

"So the storm, hurricane…whatever it is, is still four zones away?" Kyle asked hopefully.

"Indeed," H nodded. "But it is obviously heading straight towards us."

"Do we have time to get back to Miami?" It was a reasonable question after all.

Horatio took another look at the chart and shook his head. "No. Considering its speed, we have no chance to arrive in time."

Kyle was at a loss at what to say. "But…but we can't stay here!" he shrieked.

"You're absolutely right, we can't. Once the storm gets even stronger the waves might knock over the boat and we capsize. I certainly don't want to risk that."

That was all well and good, but Kyle was still confused. "But if we can't go back, and can't stay here, where the hell are we going then? We are in the middle of freaking nowhere, Dad!"

"Kyle," Horatio admonished him gently. "This is not the time to panic."

Kyle's eyes widened spectacularly. "Not the time to panic? We are in the middle of a hurricane with absolutely no shelter whatsoever. Please tell me when I have the right to panic, if not in this situation!"

Horatio could understand the outburst. Of course he could. They were in a very dangerous situation after all. Nevertheless this was the worst time to panic and run around like a headless chicken. "Son," he started soothingly, but the boy was in quite a rant.

"No, Dad. I want to-"

But the rant had to stop. "Kyle, be quiet already," he commanded him. When the boy opened his mouth again, Horatio prevented it immediately. "No. You've talked enough. Now it's time to listen to me. The worst thing we can do in this situation is to panic. Okay? I understand your feelings, I really do, Son, but for now we have to keep a clear head. Otherwise we might actually die, and this isn't something that we want. Do you see this?" he asked and pointed at a small dark spot on the chart.

"Yes," Kyle whispered contritely.

"Good. This is a small, rocky island. It's about one sea mile away. It's not going to be an easy ride, but I think we can make it there before the storm arrives."

Kyle blinked and tried to make sense out of it. "You want us to leave the boat and get on the island?"

"No," Horatio shook his head. "That would be too dangerous. With all the waves the ship might get smashed against a rock we will sink. No, the island should be big enough to give us some shelter. You have heard about the lee side?"

"I… I guess so."

Horatio gave him a little smile. "It's a common procedure Kyle. You need to find a spot where the wind and therefore the waves won't hit you too hard." He grabbed the navigation device and typed in the course that they needed. "Please get us our life jackets."

"Sure thing, Dad."

Once the boy had left the room, he switched to the emergency canal on the radio. "This is Horatio Caine on the Santa Maria. Registration number is 4937-439. Do you copy? Over."

"This is Sea Rescue, Santa Maria. Over."

"We are at the coordination of 43-15-63. Dues to the storm we are heading towards 43-15-65. We hope that we can weather the storm there. Over."

"Roger. Do you need immediate help? Over."

"Not immediate and I pray to God that we don't later. Over," Horatio mumbled.

"Roger. Keep in touch. We will keep an eye on you. Over," the bodiless voice replied.

"Will do. Santa Maria over and out." With a sigh he switched the device on mute and rubbed his neck. This was not how he had planned his small vacation. Not at all.

"Here is your jacket, Dad," Kyle entered the room, already wearing his.

"Thank you, Son," Horatio put on the jacket and secured it. "Okay, this is the plan. First of all, we need to take in the sail, secure it and pull the anchor."

"I guess the sail will get destroyed ones the storm is picking even more up?" Kyle asked and followed his father.

"Absolutely. We just need to hope that the engine is strong enough to fight against the waves," Horatio agreed and opened the small door.

"Wait," Kyle grabbed his father's arm. "it might not be?" he asked worriedly.

"Kyle," Horatio sighed. "Believe it or not, but I've never been in such a situation before and neither has the boat. So no, I cannot say for sure what the engine might do or not. In the end, we don't have a Plan B, so Plan A it is."

"But-"

"No, Kyle," Horatio shook his head. "There's nothing else we can do. And now you will take care of the anchor while I will secure the sail, okay? Please be careful of the ship movements and the waves. They can easily sweep you off your feet and take you into the water." And if that happened…no, Horatio didn't want to think about that.

"I'll be careful, Dad," the boy nodded. "But you as well!"

"Of course, Son. Of course." With that he opened the door, which wasn't all that easy because of the wind and stepped outside. The wind was still howling, the waves still crashing against the boat and it was so dark outside that he was barely able to see a thing. Thank goodness that he knew his boat very well.

So while Kyle was busy with the anchor at the stern of the ship, Horatio had the difficult task to take in the sail and secure it tightly. Due to the wind, this wasn't easy at all, since the boom was swinging back and forth and Horatio had to look out that he wasn't hit by it. "Can't you hold still for just a moment?" Horatio mumbled and tried to make a grab for it again. "Damn it!" he cursed when he lost his grip again because the wood was slippery.

Kyle's task wasn't all that easier. He didn't have problems with the grip, but the anchor was quite heavy due to the movements of the sea. "This is worse than any work out session," he grumbled. "Urgh…how deep is the water here?" With one hand, he wiped away the water from his face and took a look at how his Dad was faring. Maybe he did have the easier task after all. It certainly didn't look easy what his father was doing. "Come on, just a few more feet," he mumbled. The next time his father would propose an outing with a ship he would gladly decline. "Fucking hurricanes appearing out of the blue," he hissed and lost his grip for a moment and the chain of the anchor soared down again. "Oh come on! Are you kidding me?"

Horatio didn't fare all that better. The ground was slippery and the sail had a life on its own. "Fucking weather forecast being too stupid to predict a hurricane," he cursed wildly and finally got the fluttering sail under control. "Got you!" he triumphed and quickly fixed it so the wind wouldn't be able to rip it up. That done he took a deep breath and looked out at the sea.

The waves were getting stronger and stronger and the lighting closer. A particular high wave suddenly appeared and crashed full speed into the boat and showered the deck with sea water. Feeling the pull on his legs, Horatio grabbed the railing in a death grip and tried to hold on. Totally forgetting that he was still in the danger area of the boom, which wielded around dangerously.

All Kyle heard was the painful scream of his Dad and something plopping into the water. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins and with a last major effort, he latched the chain of the anchor. The water in his eyes was making it impossible for him to see anything. Not to forget that there was almost no light outside. Where was his Dad? "Dad? Daaad?" He couldn't see him. "DAAAAD?"

The blood was pumping in his ears. His heart was racing. Frantically he leaned over the railing and tried to see something. "Oh God, oh God," he babbled. There was something floating on the water, already a few feet away from the boat. "DAAAD!" he shouted again. What was he going to do? Also jumping into the water and trying to get to his dad? Was that even his dad? Or maybe he could drive the boat there? But he had never really driven the boat by engine. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," he mumbled desperately.

He needed to do something. He needed to make a decision.

Now.

He took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Jumping into the water was not an option. They would never get back to the boat again, let alone getting onto it. "Driving it is then." Decision made, he looked into the direction again where he had last seen something and tried to memorize the position. "I'm going to get you Dad," he mumbled and walked to the front of the ship.

The boom was still moving erratically and only his quick reflexes saved him from a collision with it. "Whoa!" he let himself fall down on the ground and due to that came face to face with a familiar body. "Dad?" Kyle couldn't believe what his eyes were telling him. "Oh Dad!" There were about 10tons that were falling from his chest. "Oh thank God!"

Carefully, he robbed towards his dad, having in mind that the boom was still swinging around like some wild warrior. "Dad?" he asked when he finally reached him and shook his shoulder. All he got in reply was some pained groan. "Dad? Can you hear me?" he asked again, but didn't get a real reply. "Damn.." he mumbled and carefully sat up. "I need to get him out of harms way," he talked to himself and reached for his dad's arms.

The man was heavier than he thought, probably due to the soaked clothes and because he was dead weight. "Urgh Dad, no more pizza and hot dogs for you," he grunted and pulled the man towards the door where they would be safe from the boom.

When he reached his destination, he arranged his Dad into a sitting position and crouched down in front of him. "Dad, wake up," he patted his cheek and when this didn't work, he did so a bit harder.

"Ohh…"

Well, at least he got a reaction this time. "Dad? Can you hear me?"

"Mhmm.."

"Open your eyes for me, Dad. Come on," he Kyle coached him into a reaction.

Slowly Horatio's eyes opened and tried to focus on his son. "What happened?" he mumbled.

"I'm not sure, but I think you got into a fight with the boom and lost."

"Feels like it," Horatio replied and tried to wipe away the salty water from his face. "Ohhh," he moaned when he came into contact with his forehead.

"Let me see." Carefully, Kyle felt around and pulled a face when his dad groaned again. "I'm sorry, Dad. But you got quite a nice bump there. It's not bleeding though which is good." A bleeding head wound was not something that he wanted to deal with right now. "Do you think you can get up?"

Horatio needed a moment before he answered. "I'm…I'm actually not sure."

Kyle had suspected that. He also presumed that his Dad had a mild concussion and getting up on a swaying boat with vertigo wasn't all that easy. "It's okay."

"No...no it's not," Horatio denied. "I need to get the boat into the shelter." The storm was coming closer and their time was running out. If they stayed here, they would get hit full force and this was not a good thing. Not at all.

"Stay down, Dad," Kyle admonished him and put some pressure on his dad's shoulders, so the man wouldn't get stupid ideas. "I will do it!"

This didn't sit well with Horatio. "Kyle, you don't know how." His son hadn't driven the boat per engine on a calm sea and certainly never on a stormy sea.

Well, he didn't, didn't he? But it was, in Kyle's opinion, their only option. "That might be, Dad, but we can't change it. Let's call it our Plan B, huh? Plus, you're sitting here next to me and you can tell me what to do." Well, probably rather shouting instructions at him, but the thought counted.

"Kyle, I really-"

"Dad!" the young man interrupted him. "Now it's your turn to be quiet. We don't have any other option and we don't want to stay here and wait for the storm, right?" he asked and before his father could reply, he nodded. "Right. I'm happy that we finally agree on something." Sometimes you needed to outstubborn the stubborn. "So instead of telling me how this is a bad idea, tell me how this thing works so we can get our asses into safety."

Horatio couldn't help but blink owlishly at this person in front of him. Was that his son? The same son that not so long ago had been close to hysteria? Had he bumped his head so badly?

No. No, he hadn't. He had only underestimated the boy. No, the young man. Right.

"The main switch is bellow deck. You have probably already seen it. It's next to the oven. The green one."

Relieved that his father was done arguing, Kyle nodded. "Yes, I know which one you mean."

"Good. Everything else is here outside. Just switch it on and come back." Back then, when he had bought the boat, he had insisted on having the main power switch for the engine bellow deck, so that no one could easily hot wire the thing and steal his boat. Now, in this situation, he wasn't all that sure if this had been such a good idea. Right now, he was in no condition to go downstairs and upstairs.

"All Done!"

Surprised, Horatio looked up again. He hadn't even realized that Kyle had been gone and was back again. Maybe he was really in no state to handle the boat. "Good," he nodded. "Here are the keys, the ignition is next to the wheel. You will also find the throttle there. Do you know the coordinates?"

"Uhm..I…no? I guess they're important though, right?"

Even in this unpleasant situation, Horatio couldn't help but laugh at that. "A bit." His son was always good for a funny moment. "Don't worry, I still know them. It's 43-15-65. Just type it in the GPS and we are ready to go."

"I can manage that." Or at least Kyle hoped so. It didn't sound too complicated. Then again, he wasn't really maneuvering the boat yet. This was going to be the hardest part. Obviously. He quickly did as he was told and started the engine. "We are ready," he shouted.

"Perfect," Horatio shouted back and began to move towards his son, so it was easier to communicate.

"Dad! What did I tell you about getting up?" his son admonished him when he realized that his dad was sitting next to him.

"I didn't get up, I crawled." More or less at least.

Kyle just snorted. "Yeah, right."

Horatio refrained from commenting on that. "Keep your eyes on the water, the GPS and the sonar. I'm pretty sure that there will be no shoal here, but you never know. Especially when we get close to the island."

"Okay, Dad," Kyle sighed and did just that.

Horatio couldn't help but smile at this sight in front of him. His son was standing ramrod straight behind the wheel in deep concentration. It seemed that Kyle had grown up from one moment to the other. But then again, maybe this was only Horatio's perception. The perception of a father. A parent. And parents did have a difficult time sometimes to realize that their children were no longer children but young adults, did they not?

Well, he certainly did. It wasn't that he had known his son as a 5 year old, but sometimes he still saw him as the 16 year old teenager who had stumbled into a situation with no way out. But this young man there behind the wheel wasn't this timid teenager any longer. Oh no. This was a person who had taken matters in his own hands and had kept calm in a very difficult situation.

Horatio couldn't have been prouder of his son than in this very moment.

Kyle was tied up in knots. The sea was doing everything to make his life difficult. Sometimes the waves were coming from the left, then the right and sometimes even from the front, which resulted into a lot of salty water in his face. He needed a lot of strength to hold the wheel in the exact position and all in all it seemed to him that they were not actually making any progress.

Maybe the engine wasn't strong enough for these kinds of waves? His dad had said that it had never been tried like this. He couldn't blame his dad for not knowing. Who in their right mind would go into a storm just to find out if the engine would hold? No one.

"Come on, come on," he mumbled his new mantra. Maybe it would help.

Horatio closed his eyes for a few long moments. His head was giving him hell and the heavy rocking of the boat wasn't beneficial for his stomach. He had never had a problem with seasickness before, but maybe he did have a light concussion. For whatever reason, he sure wasn't feeling very well.

A beeping alert roused him from his thoughts. "Kyle?" he asked, but the boy was seemingly in his own world. Tat was all well and good, but if the sonar was beeping, you need to be alert. Gently, but nevertheless with determination, he grabbed his son's heel and squeezed. "Kyle!"

Had he been able to, Kyle would have jumped 3ft high. "What the hell?! Dad, why are you scaring me- wait, what is this noise?"

"It's the sonar, Son. There must be something ahead as we are getting closer to the island."

Kyle took a closer look at the device and nodded. "It seems as it's getting shallower."

"Then you need to reduce the speed, so-"

"But Dad," Kyle interrupted him. "Any slower and we won't get anywhere."

"…so we won't go aground," Horatio finished. "Or hit a rock which would be even worse."

Kyle just sighed, but did as he was told. "It's not that far any longer. And the waves are still high. Do you really think it will work out?" He was quite skeptical about that.

Horatio just smiled. "Don't worry. Once we are close enough, you will notice a significant change." He had never tried that on sea, but everyone who had stood in the wind and had then found shelter in a windless corner could confirm the difference.

"If you say so Dad…"

"I do. Trust me on this Kyle and please stop arguing with me, but concentrate on the sonar and the GPS."

"Will do Dad.." He really hoped that his Dad was right.

It was a few minutes later, when something appeared on the horizon. "Dad! I think I can see the island!" he shouted relieved and turned his head to look at his old man. "Isn't it awesome? We made it!"

Seeing the joy on his son's face made Horatio smile. "_You_ made it, Son. This was all your doing."

This broadened his smile even more. "Maybe. But you helped. We are a good team." Maybe he had maneuvered the boat, but without his dad's help he would have been stranded.

"That we are Kyle, that we are," Horatio nodded. "Now stay alert. The moment the wind lessens, turn off the engine and cast the anchor. We should have enough momentum to get close enough but not too close."

Kyle nodded and made a serious face. "And don't come into contact with the boom."

"That would be a plus, yes," Horatio chuckled. One man down was enough.

Kyle gave him a cheeky smile and concentrated on his task again. "I think…I think…," he mumbled after a few moments, "yes I think it's getting easier to maneuver, Dad. And we are getting faster even though we shouldn't."

"Then cut the engine and get to the anchor. We don't want to hit the shore."

"Aye-aye, Sir," he saluted and then quickly made his way to the back of the boat. He ducked when the boom was making its appearance, but thankfully it wasn't so wild any more. "One needs ninja training for this thing," he mumbled, but safely made it to the anchor. He hit a switch and in a whoosh the thing fell into the water. "You better keep us anchored here, storm or not," he ordered the anchor and then made his way back to his dad.

"Did you succeed?" Horatio asked, who was still seated next to the wheel, much to his son's astonishment.

"Yes. So what now?"

"Now we can only wait," Horatio replied and tried to get up.

"Oh please, don't let me help you," Kyle said sarcastically, and quickly grabbed his father's arm, when Horatio seemed to lose his footing. "Really, Dad?"

Horatio had the grace to look a bit embarrassed. "Sorry…" He just didn't like to be dependent on someone.

Kyle just shook his head and slung his arm around Horatio's middle. "Let's get you inside and checked out," he said and they somehow got downstairs on the narrow stair. In the kitchen, he helped his dad sit down on a stool and went looking for an ice pack. "The boom hit you pretty bad, huh?" he said and gently pressed the cooling pack against Horatio's forehead.

Horatio flinched due to both the coldness and the pressure. "Don't remind me," he mumbled and closed his eyes.

"Hey Dad…," he gently shook his shoulder. "Don't fall asleep. You might have a concussion. Dad.."

Horatio slowly blinked at his Son. "Hmm?"

"Don't fall asleep," Kyle stated. "Better tell me what we can do now, while we wait."

Horatio took a deep breath. "Best thing is to contact Sea Rescue again, so they will know that we made it this far." He switched on the radio. "Sea Rescue, this is Santa Maria again. Over."

It took a couple of moments, but then the voice was heard again in the small room. "Santa Maria. Good to hear you. Where are you? Over."

"We made it to 43-15-65 and have now anchored. What can you tell us about the storm? Over."

"It seems that you are in luck, Santa Maria. The storm is drifting away from your current position, so you should be safe. Over."

"Well, as safe as one can be during a hurricane," Kyle mumbled, but was very happy to hear that the storm wasn't following them.

"Sounds wonderful, Sea Rescue. Will you keep us updated? Over."

"Roger, sure thing Santa Maria. Over and out."

Horatio turned the radio on stand by and let out a deep breath. "Best news I heard today."

Kyle grinned and nodded. "I had no desire to run a race against a storm, that's for sure."

"Me neither," Horatio chuckled. "Why don't you get back to sleep, Son? It will be hours until we can leave here."

Kyle wasn't sure if he heard correctly. "Are you kidding me, Dad? With all this adrenaline pumping in my veins? Plus, I can't leave you alone. You have a concussion and who knows, you might challenge the boom to a second round. No way that I will leave you alone." Really, his dad had funny ideas sometimes.

"But-"

"No."

Horatio sighed. He just couldn't win today. "Oh alright, do whatever you want. But don't complain about boredom in a few hours."

"I won't," the boy stated with all the seriousness of an adult man.

###

And he didn't. Between going outside and checking the anchor, the weather and keeping his dad awake, Kyle found himself quite busy. He even found an old crossword puzzle, that had kept him and most importantly his Dad quite occupied.

"Too bad that this is an old one. Look, we could have won a stay in Fort Lauderdale," he exclaimed after writing down the solution.

"Fort Lauderdale? Really, Kyle?," Horatio just snorted. "It's only 30 miles away from home."

"Well yes, but it was an all-inclusive stay in a five star hotel," the boy countered and put the crossword away.

"Didn't even know there's such a thing," Horatio mumbled and yawned for the umpteenth time.

"Don't fall asleep on me, Dad," Kyle admonished him immediately.

"If only I had Dollar for every time you said that…I could easily pay this Fort Lauderdale trip."

Kyle just grinned, but didn't feel any remorse for keeping his Dad awake. Concussions were tricky things and there was no way that he would let his Dad fall into a coma or something. "Oh my Gosh! Look at the time Dad, it's already five. The sun must be up already."

"It sure is," H agreed. "We should call Sea Rescue again and ask if it's safe to sail back."

"Let's do it," Kyle replied enthusiastically. He switched on the radio. "Sea Rescue, this is Santa Maria speaking."

Horatio just grinned when he heard the reply. "This is Sea Rescue. Santa Maria you sound so different, did you get into a time loop and became younger?"

Kyle did look a bit affronted at that. "What? No, I…."

Horatio couldn't help but laugh. "It's alright, Kyle." Sometimes the jokes at sea were a bit rougher, but his son would learn. "Sea Rescue, this is indeed Santa Maria. No time loops and all. We wanted to make sure if it is alright to get back to Miami."

"We wanted to call you in an hour to give you green light. It should be safe for you. Did you receive any damage?"

"No, we-"

"My Dad was hit by the boom pretty badly. I fear that he might have a concussion," Kyle interrupted his dad. Which annoyed said Dad.

"Kyle this is-"

"Should we send out a helicopter?" the voice asked concerned.

Kyle just gave his dad a warning look and replied. "I don't think so, Sir. But he might need an ambulance to get checked out in hospital."

"An ambulance?" Horatio spluttered. He didn't need to see a doctor. He only had a mild headache!

"There's no kidding with a concussion. Give us a call once you're close to the harbor. I will arrange for an ambulance then. Sea Rescue over and out."

"Kyle! What the heck?"

"Do _not_ argue with me, Dad. You're going to get checked out by a doctor and lord help me but if you decide to be stubborn about it, I will tell Sea Rescue that it has to be Alexx Woods!"

"You wouldn't!" Being in Alexx` claws would be like a nightmare.

"Try me," the boy replied in a no-nonsense voice. "And now you better show me how to get the boat ready again, so we can go home. To be honest, I'm sick of the sea at the moment."

Horatio was sitting quite dumbstruck on his chair. What had just happened here? Somehow he had lost control of this situation entirely. He hated seeing the doctor and he hated the hospital even more. But seeing Alexx Woods in the hospital would be just too much for him. Knowing Alexx, she would order him to stay there for a couple of days and wouldn't leave him alone until he had checked twice over. A shudder went through just thinking about it.

Kyle couldn't help but smirk when he saw the shudder. He didn't feel any remorse though. Sometimes you had to threaten your father with something unpleasant, if the man was too stubborn to realize what was good for him. "So?" he asked and raised a mocking eyebrow, just like his father always did.

Horatio, knowing that he had lost the battle for now, growled in his throat, but decided not to antagonize the boy for now. There was still a war to win. "I think it's best if we continue by engine. I don't know if the canvas is in one piece plus it's easier to navigate when we drive by engine."

Kyle nodded. "Sounds good, Dad. So I just have to switch it on again and we can go."

"Yeees," Horatio agreed.

"I sense a But coming.."

Horatio smiled. "And you're correct. First we need to figure out the coordinates, yes?"

"Oh," the boy grinned sheepishly. "Yes. That would be a good plan."

"I thought so. Please bring me the card and we will figure it out."

###

Several hours later, Horatio was sitting bare-chested on a couch, while Kyle was waiting on a chair next him. "Really Dad, don't give me that look. How was I supposed to know that Dr. Woods is on call today?" he tried to argue with his father, who had given him the evil eye the moment Dr. Alexx Woods had stormed into the treatment room. "It's fate, Dad. I got nothing to do with it."

"Fate," Horatio snorted. Fate his ass. Fate couldn't be that cruel now could it? Then again, fate had nearly killed them with a surprise-hurricane. So being in Alexx' clutches was probably just the icing on the cake.

"Horatio, stop giving the boy that look," Alexx entered the room again. "It was a very good idea to bring you to the hospital. The blow to your head was quite severe." The moment Horatio had entered the hospital, he had been brought to the X-Ray. Head injuries were no joking matters. "Thankfully, your bullhead somehow managed to get out with it without a crack, but your symptoms indicate a mild concussion. I would like you to stay here overnight, so that we can keep an eye on you."

The glower he sent to his boy got even darker. "Oh really?" he drawled.

Kyle did his best avoid Horatio's gaze.

Alexx looked up from her chart and rolled her eyes at her friend's antics. Horatio was so predictable. And not to forget annoying when it came to hospital stays. "Lord give me strength while dealing with stubborn men," she mumbled. "But, I could be persuaded to let you go IF there's someone who will stay with you in case of an emergency."

Horatio's eyes brightened at that. Just as Alexx had predicted. "Oh?"

"Yes," she nodded. "But knowing about the cranky patient you are, I do pity the person who will agree to this."

Horatio thought about being offended by that comment, but to be honest, he _was_ a lousy patient.

"You will be on sick leave for at least a week either way," Alexx continued and scribbled something down.

"What?" H squawked. "I can't leave the lab alone for such a long time."

"Then you shouldn't have had a boxing competition with a boom in a storm, right?" Alexx just grinned. "Due to your concussion you're on bed rest. No reading, no TV. At least not for the first few days. Your headache and sickness might get worse otherwise. I will write down a prescription that will help you with those symptoms. So who is the lucky person who will keep an eye on you?"

Horatio looked at his son, who was still busy ignoring his gaze. He cleared his throat and gently nudged his boy's shoulder. "Kyle?"

The boy blinked innocently. "Yes, Dad?"

Horatio just nodded at Alexx, who was trying to hide her grin. "Did you listen to what Alexx has said?"

"Sure," Kyle nodded. "No reading, sick leave, cranky patient, pity for your caretaker," he listed. Of course he had listened to Dr. Woods.

"Aaaand…?" Horatio was quickly losing the last bit of patience that he had.

"I do agree with her." Oh, he loved riling up his dad, whose stare darkened again. "So are there also pills to knock him out if he doesn't do what his caretaker says?" he asked Alexx.

"Oh honey, I don't think that it's a good idea. He'd be unconscious permanently."

"Alexx!" This time, Horatio was offended. "I'm not _that_ bad."

"Of course not, Honey," she smiled sweetly at him.

"Bummer," muttered Kyle. "Oh well, sometimes a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. Since I insisted on bringing him here, I guess I can also take him home and keep an eye on him."

"Wonderful! Just let my get the papers and you two can leave," Alexx nodded and left the two alone.

"This was not very nice, Kyle," Horatio grumbled and started to put his shirt back on.

"Oh I know," Kyle smiled. "And I'm sure that you'll make me regret my decision to take care of you, but that's okay." He really loved his dad, but countless stories from the team about a sick Horatio had convinced him that the following days would be really difficult.

Horatio opened his mouth, but closed it again. Maybe he should just be a model patient just to prove them wrong. That would serve them right! But, sadly, he knew that he wasn't such a good actor. "Why don't you get us a cab, hm?"

"I can do that," Kyle beamed. "Be right back."

Not long after Kyle had left the room, Alexx came back. "Did he run away already? That was quick, even for you."

"Funny," Horatio grumbled and took the papers from her. "I told him to get us a cab."

"Mhmhmm," Alexx hummed and handed him the prescriptions. "You were really lucky you know? It could have been a traumatic brain injury."

"I know," he mumbled. "Or I could have gotten overboard."

"That too," Alexx nodded, but didn't want to think of it.

"I was lucky that it's just a concussion. And I was also lucky that Kyle decided to be an adult and take matters in his own hands."

"He's a good boy," Alexx commented.

"Yes. Yes he is. I would have liked to spare him from such an adventure, but all in all, I'm also glad he was by my side."

Alexx patted his shoulder. "I couldn't agree more. Be nice to him. I'm sure it was a bit traumatic for him as well."

"I'm sure it was. And I'll try…"

"That's all I'm asking for. And now shoo, I don't want to see you here anytime soon, okay? Take it easy and relax for a few more days. Miami won't fall apart just because you're sick."

"Eh, could I have that in writing?" he grinned and got up from the couch. "I'd rather see you in a different setting if I may say so."

"Me too. We sure need have another get together soon. I'll call Calleigh about it." Alexx accompanied him to the door.

"That's a good idea. She will round up the boys," Horatio agreed and left the room. Kyle was standing a few meters away, obviously waiting for him.

"Perfect. Now go to your boy and try to get home safely, yes?" Alexx gave him a hug and waved at Kyle, before continuing her rounds.

"Look at what I've found, Dad!" Kyle waved some kind of magazine in front of his face. "It's the newest edition of the magazine we had on the boat. And oh look, there's a new crossword in it! And do you know what the first prize is?"

"A trip to Miami?" Horatio deadpanned, but was inwardly amused by his son's antics.

"Noooo. It's a cruise trip to the Bermudas!"

Horatio just groaned. "You must be kidding. There's no way that we're going on a trip the Bermuda triangle!"

"Aww come one, Dad. We survived a hurricane. That triangle will be a piece of cake," the boy announced and together they walked out of the hospital.

"To be honest Son, I've had enough adventures for the next 20 years or so."

"So no more sailing then?"

"Only…only...in my bathtub."

**The End**


End file.
